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Hi I'm Bi-polar, do you have any questions?

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posted on Oct, 21 2012 @ 10:32 PM
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reply to post by gwynnhwyfar
 


Different people respond differently to medications.One med did cause more problems than it solved and only lasted 2 weeks in the trial of meds. We worked hard, and I mean hard at finding the right combination of medications. Sometimes changing as often as every 3 months. I would tell the Psy what I observed and my spouse would tell reactions. The Psy listened to both of us and we all worked hard to find a balance. We are still working on the timing of the meds after 3 years. We have learned that one med must be taken at bedtime and now have decided to move it up to after dinner for the best result. Yes, we are that picky, we want both of us to live a better life. I am so glad things are to the point where we can talk about it and work on it together.

My spouse is a II - 2
I noticed some are 1's and some are 3's, each case is individual and each family has to work out what is best for everyone in my experience.



posted on Oct, 21 2012 @ 11:07 PM
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Sure why not? How long on average will each phase be in duration?
For example.. are you down for weeks, days, hours, then up for equal intervals, or is it completely random?

I see the question has been asked, so disregard
Have a good one though

edit on 21-10-2012 by smilesmcgee because: (no reason given)



posted on Oct, 21 2012 @ 11:55 PM
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Yes, I suppose I have a question if you're still attending to them. I have a very good friend that's bipolar as well and mostly doesn't like to take his medicine because it takes away his personality, how dangerous is this exactly? Also, he's in a low as of last week and has been sleeping for days and not attending his classes as well, what are some things that I or he can try to do to get himself out of bed? Is there really any motivation that can be mustered? I understand it's really difficult, especially with the physical symptoms too.



posted on Oct, 22 2012 @ 02:32 AM
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reply to post by spinalremain
 


Exactly what benefits are there involving a mental disorder that causes erratic, and sometimes violent moodswings?

My mom is Bi-Polar, and she is a vastly troubled person. She will be completely kind and happy and then she
gets depressed and drinks herself into a violent drunk.

I'm sure not all Bi-Polars are alcoholics, but the effects of Bi-Polar disorder tend to cause intense, and negative reactions from people close to the affected party.

It's like PMSing but always, and ten times worse.


You are a serious piece of work if you are bragging about having BPD



posted on Oct, 22 2012 @ 04:34 AM
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I notice that your on both a ssri and atypical antipsychotic, mind sharing dose usage? Do you have increase sweating? My opinion it looks like bs combination. By my knowledge your combination could lead to serotonin syndrome and you could just drop the citalopram and up the antipsychotic and have a pill less to goble down a pills less side effects. Thats if your antipsychotic work the way I am thinking



posted on Oct, 22 2012 @ 06:55 AM
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Originally posted by Bisman
Do you blame all your social faux pas' and problems in life on it?

because im sick of self diagnosing bi-polar people who need a crutch.


I never blamed anything on it in the past, I just thought I was doing what I wanted to do and when I wanted to do it. I was never really ashamed of what I was doing, I just liked living life in fast forward with as much emotion and adreniline running as possible. But now I understand the illness I have seen that my tendancies have been much more likely to be doing what I have been doing. Like I have previously said people who have no experience of Bi-polar will struggle to understand the situation, and your response is a classic one from those that do not understand what is going on in people with cases of Bi-polar type 1 and maybe 2 and 3. I don't blame people for this response because you really do need to experience Bi-polar either with a loved one or yourself having it to even get anywhere close to understanding it.



posted on Oct, 22 2012 @ 07:07 AM
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Originally posted by Zivablizz

I was wondering if you could tell me how you were as a child/ teenager. Were you defiant? Looking back, what kind of effects did it have on your relationships?


As a teenager I can now look back and understand that this was the time I developed the condition, through adolescence. I was a very strong willed very confident teenager but with underlying problems socially and very Bi-polar in my moods. I found it very difficult to make new friends and indeed keep relationships with friends going. I would be very hot and cold with who I liked and who I didn't like and because of all of this I developed a real resentment for the world and certain people in it.

During this time I was always labelled as someone that wwas just miserable and prone to mood swings and being just a "moody teenager". Looking back however I had all the classic symptoms of bi-polar. I often did crazy things impulsivly when I was on my highs and ended up hospitalised a couple of times. Once when I was 15 with alcohol poisioning after skipping school and going on a bender and once when I was 18 and tried to kill myself.



posted on Oct, 22 2012 @ 07:12 AM
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Originally posted by Myomistress
Yes, I suppose I have a question if you're still attending to them. I have a very good friend that's bipolar as well and mostly doesn't like to take his medicine because it takes away his personality, how dangerous is this exactly? Also, he's in a low as of last week and has been sleeping for days and not attending his classes as well, what are some things that I or he can try to do to get himself out of bed? Is there really any motivation that can be mustered? I understand it's really difficult, especially with the physical symptoms too.


The motivation aspect is something I have not yet got a handle on. I sometime struggle to do even the most basic of things as my mind and body scream to me that they have no energy for this and it takes a real self battle to actually get around this. The secret to getting out of bed is having a routine as some others have suggested, seeing something as part of your routine is often the easiest way to get around the motivation, this means getting up at the same time every day, then you tend to stop sleeping in. Not taking meds is different for each individual person, I personally cannot go without them at the moment and if I did there would be an increased risk of suicide and tendancies to lose control of my temper and start smashing things up when I am depressed and somebody starts to irritate me. Luckily I am not violent towards people or this would be especially dangerous.



posted on Oct, 22 2012 @ 07:16 AM
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reply to post by paranoidfreak
 


The anti-psychotic (olanzapine) is also proved useful as a mood stabiliser. I have practiced taking the Olanzapine on its own but my mood just slumped into a permanent low and I got very irritable and a bad person to be around.
I am on 20mg Citalopram and 5mg Olanzapine. The Olanzapine is a little low for me but the side effects are too hard to handle at 10 mg.



posted on Oct, 22 2012 @ 07:20 AM
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reply to post by RothchildRancor
 


There are a few reported benafits but they never outweigh the bad aspects in my opinion. From an engineering point of view I can look at problems in a much more black and white kind of way than my collegues and I tend to be able to spot faults and problems much quicker than everybody else. Others report a great sense of creativity. I must admit that I have a lot of magical thoughts too, relating to the universe and other profound subjects but I have no Idea if my thoughts are something or alot of nothing.



posted on Oct, 22 2012 @ 07:26 AM
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reply to post by moniesisfun
 


Yes, because a quarter of the population is running around with mental illness because of food allergies.


Oh it is so simple, why didn't we see it before?

Thanks for the link to a search box.

edit on 22-10-2012 by nixie_nox because: (no reason given)



posted on Oct, 22 2012 @ 07:36 AM
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reply to post by sad_eyed_lady
 


The designations doesn't mean severity, they are designating the cycles. Someone who is bipolar II spends more time in the depressive state then a bipolar I. Doesn't mean the condition is less severe.

I haven't been able to decide which is worse, the depressive state or the manic. I usually go with the depressive becvause it costs less and usually doesn't involve the law.
edit on 22-10-2012 by nixie_nox because: (no reason given)



posted on Oct, 22 2012 @ 07:43 AM
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reply to post by grandmakdw
 


Wow, did you hit the nail on the head.



posted on Oct, 22 2012 @ 07:46 AM
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reply to post by Bisman
 


We get it, you are a troll, and a lousy one at that. Now go get a life.



posted on Oct, 22 2012 @ 08:17 AM
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Originally posted by nixie_nox
reply to post by moniesisfun
 


Yes, because a quarter of the population is running around with mental illness because of food allergies.


Oh it is so simple, why didn't we see it before?


There are two ways I take this statement. It's obvious sarcasm, but let's keep it to the logical realm.

1. You are implying that I believe all food allergies cause mental illness.

Incorrect.

2. You are implying that I believe all mental illness is caused by food allergeis.

Incorrect.

Either way, you don't present a reasonable case.


Thanks for the link to a search box.


That's interesting. I wonder why it redirects you there. Here's the abstract:


Objective: Several community studies have identified associations between allergies and depressive symptoms. In this study, we evaluated the association between self-reported allergies and several Axis I disorders in a community population. Method: The data source was the 2002 Canadian Community Health Study. This study included the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, and collected self-report data about food and environmental allergies. Crude associations were estimated and logistic regression was subsequently used to adjust for demographic variables. Results: Self-reported allergies to food and non-food allergies were associated with mood and anxiety disorders, but not to substance dependence. The adjusted odds ratio for major depression in subjects reporting food allergies was 1.8 (95% CI 1.5-2.3) and for other allergies was 1.5 (95% CI 1.2-1.7). Associations of comparable strength were observed for bipolar disorder and for panic disorder/agoraphobia. The association with social phobia was statistically significant, but not as strong. Conclusions: Cross-sectional epidemiological data are most useful for descriptive purposes. This study is the first to confirm the presence of an association between allergies and mood and anxiety disorders, as opposed to symptom ratings, in a general population sample. Substance use disorders are not associated with self-reported allergies.

edit on 22-10-2012 by moniesisfun because: (no reason given)



posted on Oct, 22 2012 @ 08:47 AM
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reply to post by michael1983l
 


Thanks for opening yourself up for questions OP!

Any early childhood trauma, say, before the age of 6 or 7?



posted on Oct, 22 2012 @ 09:39 AM
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reply to post by chasingbrahman
 



Around 7 or 8 yes you could say so, not something I would wish to share though.



posted on Oct, 22 2012 @ 09:57 AM
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reply to post by michael1983l
 


So 5 pages and we see the variety of differing views and personal stories.

Before I go into anything I know about mood disorders please read this.
www.ncgiadd.org...

ADHD and Bipolar Disorder
Our current method of naming mental
disorders, the DSM-IV, has 295 separately named disorders but only
167 symptoms. Consequently, overlap and sharing of symptoms
among disorders is common. To complicate matters further, ADHD
is highly comorbid; that is, it is commonly found co-existing with
other mental and physical disorders. A recent review of adults at the
time they were diagnosed with ADHD demonstrated that 42% also
had another active major psychiatric disorder. Thirty eight per cent (in other words, virtually all of them)
had two or more other mental disorders active at the time they were diagnosed with ADHD. Therefore,
the diagnostic question is not, "is it one or the other?" but rather "is it both?"

Perhaps the most difficult differential diagnosis to make is that of ADHD versus Bipolar Mood Disorder
(BMD). In adults the two disorders commonly occur together. Recent estimates- also find that 20-25% of
persons with BMD have ADHD. Conversely, 6-7% of people with ADHD also have BMD (10 times the
prevalence found in the general population). Unless care is taken during the diagnostic assessment there is a
substantial risk of either misdiagnosis or of a missed diagnosis. Nonetheless, a few key pieces of history can
guide us to an accurate diagnosis.
Both ADHD and Bipolar Disorder share primary features of:
1.)mood instability
2) bursts of energy and restlessness
3) talkativeness
4) "racing thoughts"
5) impulsivity
6) impatience -
7) impaired judgment -
8) irritability
9) a chronic course
10) lifelong impairment
11) a strong genetic clustering

ADHD and Bipolar Disorder can be distinguished from one another on the basis of six factors.
1) Age of Onset: ADHD symptoms are present lifelong. The current nomenclature requires that the
symptoms must be present (although not necessarily impairing) by seven years of age. BMD can be present
in prepubertal children, but this is so rare that some investigators say it does not occur.
2) Consistency of Impairment and Symptoms: ADHD is always present. BMD comes in episodes that
ultimately remit to more or less normal mood levels.
3.)Triggered Mood Instability: People with ADHD are passionate people who have strong emotional
reactions to the events of their lives. However, it is precisely this clear triggering of mood shifts that
distinguishes ADHD from Bipolar mood shifts that come and go without any connection to life events. In
addition, there is mood congruency in ADHD, that is, the mood reaction is appropriate in kind to the trigger.
Happy events in the lives of ADHD individuals result in intensely happy and excited states of mood.
Unhappy events and especially the experience of being rejected, criticized or teased elicit intense dysphoric
states. This "rejection sensitive dysphoria" is one of the causes for the misdiagnosis of "borderline
personality disorder'.
4.)Rapidity of Mood Shift: Because ADHD mood shifts are almost always triggered, the shifts themselves
are of- ten experienced as being instantaneous complete shifts from one state to another. Typically they are
described as "crashes" or "snaps" which emphasize this sudden quality. By contrast, the untriggered mood
shifts of BMD take hours or days to move from one state to another.
5) Duration of Mood Shifts: People with ADHD report that their moods shift rapidly according to what is
going on in their lives. The response to severe losses and rejections may last weeks, but typically mood shifts
are much shorter and are usually measured in hours. The mood shifts of BMD are usually sustained. For
instance, to get the desig- nation of "rapid cycling" bipolar disorder the person need only experience four
shifts of mood from high to low or low to high in a 12 month period of time. Many people with ADHD
experience that many mood shifts in a single day.
6) Family History: Both disorders run in families, but people with BMD usually have a family history of
BMD while individuals with ADHD have a family tree with multiple cases of ADHD.


I spent most of my childhood showing severe signs : defiant, emotional, always on the go, I sought every distraction possible. I had exaggerated emotional states as a teen. I put myself in difficult situations that resulted in trauma (poor judgement).
#3 above about positive/ negative triggers - the worst depressive states were always around deep hurts (breakups). The one that landed me in a hospital at 20 was when my mom was dying of cancer.
They diagnosed me as bipolar (the new name for manic depressive) in the early 90's.



posted on Oct, 22 2012 @ 10:02 AM
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reply to post by chasingbrahman
 


Childhood trauma does not "cause' bipolar if that is what you are looking for.

It is a chemical imbalance within the brain. It is a result of chemistry reacting with brain tissue.

There is a huge genetic component, we now recognize that my father-in-law had it. We all just used to pass off his symptoms as crazy old grandpa. Until he went really wild one year buying everything he saw on TV and donating money he didn't have to anyone who sent him a letter asking for money. We had to put him on a do not call list and do not send junk mail list, and cancel his credit card, and have my mother in law screen the mail before he could get to it, which caused him to rage violently. Then he'd sit for days on end just watching TV and not moving. A classic case. We can clearly see the genetic components.

Is there a trigger mechanism? Probably, but maybe not. My spouse started around age 30 and there was no discernable trigger, as a matter of fact things were pretty good then. It just "happened" and it took years for us to realize what was happening. At first we blamed it on seasonal affective disorder, until the pattern no longer followed the seasons. However, nearly every spring there was a manic episode, and now on medication there is an increase of energy every spring. Don't know why, maybe the sunshine triggers some of the chemicals that cause mania. The depression doesn't seem to have a pattern at all, but a true illness or surgery does trigger it.

If you wondered why I stayed. I took vows for better or worse, in sickness and in health. They meant something to me and I was determined as long as he was never physically violent that I would stay. Now I'm glad I did, we finally have a peaceful life together and he adores wrinkly old me.



posted on Oct, 22 2012 @ 10:08 AM
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Originally posted by grandmakdw
reply to post by chasingbrahman
 


Childhood trauma does not "cause' bipolar if that is what you are looking for.


There is a disproportionately high incidence of childhood trauma in those labeled with bipolar, compared to the "norm". This seems to indicate a clear component in the genesis of the "disorder", in many instances.


It is a chemical imbalance within the brain. It is a result of chemistry reacting with brain tissue.


That is a rather shallow description of the issue. Why is their a chemical imbalance?


There is a huge genetic component, we now recognize that my father-in-law had it.


Agreed.


Is there a trigger mechanism? Probably, but maybe not. My spouse started around age 30 and there was no discernible trigger, as a matter of fact things were pretty good then.


The further our research and understanding of epigenetics goes, the more we realize that there can be quite a delay in the onset of illness from the actual trigger point. Some times it can skip the individual all together, and epigentic changes will infect offspring, or their offspring.



It really is fascinating how complex these issues really are. Treating them as mere "chemical disorders" is fast becoming an outdated, and incomplete model and approach to treating, or curing the issue.



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